Veronica Nelson treated inhumanely before jail loss of life, prison officer concedes

CCTV shows Brown, nurse Atheana George and two different jail officers present Nelson with paracetamol though a cell trap door about 1.30am. It was the final time employees saw her alive.

Throughout Brown’s nightshift, the coroner heard Nelson went on to make 9 additional calls for assist over the jail intercom, including a final two conversations Lacy described as “haunting” and “chilling”. Nothing was heard from Nelson after 4am. Her physique was discovered later that morning.

Attending paramedics believed she had been dead for some time.

Taking to the witness stand for the first time on Friday after a failed Supreme Court docket struggle to suppress her identity, Brown revealed she now believed she ought to’ve performed more to assist Nelson throughout her final hours.

Brown accepted she had an obligation of care to Nelson and will have gone to examine on the 37-year-old after the inmate became unresponsive during her closing intercom call. She also accepted Nelson was deprived of “satisfactory” medical care throughout her keep and not handled humanely.

The prison officer was additionally crucial of the medical care offered to inmates and the situation by which some arrived on the Yarra unit. She stated night time nurses typically refused to walk the 200 metres from the medical unit to the Yarra unit to see patients throughout the night.

Prison officers aren't permitted to name triple zero and more senior staff would must be contacted to do that in any emergency, Brown said.

An post-mortem later discovered Nelson had the undiagnosed medical situation Wilkie’s syndrome, a uncommon but doubtlessly life-threatening gastrointestinal condition.

Rishi Nathwani, representing Nelson’s mother, was vital of Brown’s motion and pressed the jail officer on an inner evaluation that praised her actions.

Nathwani said within the overview, Dame Phyllis Frost normal manager Tracey Jones mentioned she was “proud” of the way Nelson was handled in her closing hours and that Brown “sensitively managed the intercom calls”.

Jail CCTV shows Tracey Brown, far proper, attending Nelson’s prison cell alongside nurse Atheana George about 1.30am the day of Nelson’s demise.

On the stand, Brown disagreed. Jones is because of give evidence next week.

Pictures and audio contained in this story had been launched to the media with permission from the household. For 24/7 disaster assist run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).